Find the cause before choosing the repair.

What should an assessment answer?

Ask which wall components are damaged, what evidence suggests the cause and what the visit cannot see. A visual visit, underwater inspection, elevation survey and engineered repair design are different services. Confirm which you are buying.

Bring your Alabama Power permit history and a sketch of the shoreline. Mark the affected segment so every photograph and estimate refers to the same place.

Martin, Yates & Thurlow residential guidelines

Is the face damaged or is the wall moving?

Open mortar joints can look similar in a photograph to a deeper loss of support. Record bulging, leaning, loose cap pieces and steps between adjoining sections. Ask whether the repair treats only the surface or also the footing, drainage and retained ground.

Keep people and equipment away from unstable edges. Do not probe voids or climb onto displaced stone to take a better picture.

Where is the ground going?

A lawn depression, settling steps or washed-out bedding needs a soil-loss investigation. Show the assessor roof drains, driveway runoff and outlets near the wall. Ask where water enters, where it leaves and what prevents soil from following it.

Filling the visible hole without closing the loss path can leave the same problem underneath. A material recommendation should follow the diagnosis.

What does the water hide?

Date each observation and note lake conditions. Drawdown may improve visibility, while high water can conceal the wall toe. Ask whether the conclusion should wait for another water level or additional investigation.

Lakeshore use permit request and FAQ · Lake Martin reservoir facts and operations

What should you receive?

• A labeled plan or photo record of wall segments.
• Observed defects and limits of inspection.
• Recommended next investigation, repair options and urgency.
• The permits, access and restoration that the proposed scope needs.
• A clear distinction between condition findings and a construction price.